Transparent folder and indexing means for carrying loose-leaf sheets



Oct. 28, 1941. F. s. scHADE. 2,260,407

TRANSPARENT FOLDER AND INDEXING MEANS FOR CARRYING LOOSE-LEAF SHEETS Filed Dec. 24, 1940 y 5 ATTO NEYS Patented Oct. 28, 1941 TRANSPARENT FOLDER AND INDEXING MEANS FOR CARRYING LDOSE-LEAF SHEETS Frank Stanley Schade', Holyoke, Mass, assignor to National Blank BooLCo mpany, Holyoke,

Masa, a corporation of Massachusetts Application December 24, 1940, Serial No. 371,531

3 Claims.

The structure of this invention is an improvement in transparent folders and particularly in the means for indexing such folders. Such folders are used for carrying loose leaf sheets in books, cabinets, and other structure.

It is common practice to use a transparent folded sheet, as an envelope or folder, to protect and display its contents. It is common to arrange a pack of such folders in a loose leaf book or filing cabinet with means to index them in the pack. I have found that when it is desirable, as it often is, to have the folder carry its indexing means, the transparent folder presents diiliculties.

My main purpose is to avoid the difficulties I have found in the indexing of transparent folders. I will discuss them and show how they are avoided by my improved structure. One form of this is disclosed in the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 1 is a top view of the transparent folder and index;

Fig. 2 is a view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Generally considered, the transparent folder consists of a single sheet of transparent material like Celluloid. In my form it has the top fold l joining upper and lower sheets 2 and 3.

I desire to provide for an index tab carried at the top edge of this folder, and to have the tab protected by the same sort of transparent material as the folder. But such material cannot readily be stuck together. Furthermore, the folder of transparent material is to a certain degree marred in its nice appearance if anything is stuck on its outside surface. An ordinary tab or tab protector with its legs straddling and stuck on at the upper margin of its surface would not give the nice appearance which my new indexing means will give.

The new means consists in the index sheet 4. It may be made as a mounting sheet ofcolor, black for instance, seen through the folder material as a filler sheet so as to better display the intended contents of the folder. This sheet 4 is of paper-like material or in any event one to which the transparent material of part 5 will stick. Part 5 is made with the lower part longer,

fixed to sheet 4 by adhesive, preferably thermoplastic cement. With this arrangement, sheet 4 anchors part I.

The assembly of sheet I with its index protector 5 fastened at its edge in the transparent folder, all as indicated, gives a nice, simple appearance. When indexed. the transparent folder has all the simple appearance of an integral structure. The upper and lower surfaces of the folder adjacent the index tab are smooth. They are not marred by any layer of pasted-on indexing means. The folder, except for its slot, may be made without regard to the indexing means. Such folder can then be used with or without the indexing means since the single, narrow slot at itsfolded edge is hardly noticed in any event. 7 To apply the index means tothe folder it is only necessary to insert the sheet I as a sheet to be held in the folder and let its index attachment protrude through the slot. It can be taken out and inserted, used or not used, or interchanged. That is, if one desired to change the index notation of a particular folder this can be very easily done by changing the mounting sheet |'--in the folder. Such sheet is of about the same area as the transparent.folder.

It will be seen that the mounting sheet 4 with the index holder on it cannot be removed endwise of the folder. It needs to be removed and inserted from the side opposite the outer fold. To hold the sheet I in place after insertion, I prefer to provide a lip 8 on the folder at its sheet entrance side. It is made by folding over an integral extension from sheet I to provide a tight fold 9 at this side. The lip I is thus formed.

-' The margins of transparent sheet 2 and of sheet 4 may be tucked under this lip as indicated. This arrangement will detachably secure the folder and its indexing means together. It may then be used as a'single card would be used in a cabinet or other group-holding means. By loosening the top transparent sheet from its lip, sheet contents can be readily mounted in the folder and on either side of the mounting sheet 4. In some cases it would be desirable to have two slots, one for each of two index holders, on the same folder. One index part would relate to the contents on one side of the mounting sheet and one to differently indexed contents on the other side of the mounting sheet. But ordinarily each folder would have only one indexing means, as I have shown it.

One in this art will know that indexed folders are assembled and held in all sorts of loose leaf mechanisms and in various kinds of filing cabinets. For illustrative purposes I have shown my improved transparent folder adapted to be held it in this arrangement performs three useful purposes. It carries all the indexing means for the transparent folder; it provides a mounting sheet for the folder contents; and it strengthens the hesive applied between such transparent surfaces.

2. A transparent folder structure for filing and indexing purposes comprising a sheet of transparent material folded on itself with the fold at its outer edge, said edge being provided with a relatively short slot through the fold. the ends of the sheet opposite the fold providing the binding margin, an opaque sheet of substantially the 'same area as the folder tucked inside the fold of the transparent sheet, a transparent index slip-holding device carried at the outer edge of binding margin of the folder for use in loose leafbinder mechanisms. When assembled, the transparent lower part I lets the color of sheet 4 show through it. Thus, sheet 4 shows as a simple rectangle of one color protected by the transparent folder; and this unit is indexed with a very neat, simple appearance.

1 The invention from various aspects is pointed out in the following claims.

, I claim:

d 1. A structure for the-purpose described comprising in combination a folder made of one transparent sheet of material folded on itself into two leaves of substantially the same area, the folded edge of such sheet having a short slot, an indexed opaque sheet of paper-like material having its outer edge tucked into said folded edge, an

index tab holder made of transparent material like the folder sheet but fastened adhesively to the opaque sheet with its index tab-holding portion extending beyond said fold whereby both the areas of the folder and said index tab-holding portion are presented with the simple appearance of a single substantially unbroken area of transparent material and the transparent indexing means is securely combined with the transparent folder and without any dependence onany adthe opaque sheet and extended through the short slot. 3. A composite folder structure for binding as a unit with others to make up an indexed pack for a book or other filing device, said structure comprising in combination a sheet of transparent material folded on itself in the form of a flattened tube, the fold at one edge having a relatively short slot therethrough, the fold at the opposite edge making a narrow lip under which I the top sheet ofthe folder may be tucked to close or taken out to open" said tube-like folder,,the margin containing the lip being the binding margin of the structure, an opaque sheet adapted to serve as a mounting and display sheet for folder 1 contents, the latter sheet being of substantially the same area as the folder, having its inner margin tucked under said lip and its outer margin tucked in said fold with the slot, a transparent index holding device carried by the other edge of the opaque sheet and protruding through said slot, said indexed structure as assembled being 1 adapted to give access for taking out or putting in contents by lifting the'top transparent sheet from said lip to expose said opaque sheet for mounting on it while it holds the index.

FRANK STANLEY SCHADE. 

